We are all still numb from the murder of 22 people in Manchester. Since then, many commentators have used these dreadful incidents to justify all manner of viewpoints; some of them more informed than others.

Some have spoken about their analysis of the problem, others have suggested how they would “solve it”. In truth, the immediate aftermath of such an horrific event is rarely the right time for meaningful analysis, as emotions are too raw and the problems too complex. Instead, we should focus on our immediate response and what each of us should and shouldn’t do.

We should not give fame to the bomber. Do not let the life and death of one man tarnish the memory of so many beautiful young people. Do not remember his name, or recognise his face. Let his death be as anonymous as his final act was horrific.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

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We should not glamorise the act through talk of martyrdom or jihadism. For some, these words have a mystique and romanticism that distracts from the cold hard facts of the act. Call it what it was: murder; infanticide; the horrific killing of children.

We should not let the single act of depravity overshadow the many acts of generosity, but remember instead the kindness of strangers, the decency of the people of Manchester and the courage of our emergency services. If Manchester shows us anything it’s that when we’re faced with times of greatest hardship there are no such thing as strangers.

We should not get fixated on the murderer’s religion, his name, or the colour of his skin. For millennia, murderers and psychopaths have hidden behind the fig leaf of religion; we must not let ourselves get fixated on it, but instead recognise the banality of the evil hiding behind it.

(Image: PA)

We should not let it change us. The lives of those directly affected will never be the same, but for the rest of us, our lives will go on. We cannot and must not live in fear.

In time, when the wounds have begun to heal and the shock has begun to subside, we will commemorate the lives of the beautiful young people we have lost, embrace the communities from where they came and honour the lives they will no longer lead.

But for now we must continue to live as they lived, enjoying the company of friends and the innocent pleasures of music and fun nights out. Because in Britain, that’s part of who we are, and part of what we do – nothing and no one will ever change that.